Parents Disgusted as School District Moves All Rural Abbotsford Schools to K-5

2/25/2016

Bradner Abbotsford Schools Abbotsford School District Trustees Board of Education Reconfiguration of 6 rural schools to K-5 in 2017

Source - Bradner Elementary District Website

Bradner, BC - On February 23rd, 2016 exhausted parents and members of the community attended the Abbotsford Board of Education meeting to hear the trustees vote on the fate of rural Abbotsford schools.

The district announced that it would be proposing a grade re-configuration for the last 6 remaining K-7 schools in Abbotsford in November 2015 on a VERY short timeline that forced parents to attend many meetings come up with proposals and criteria on tight time frames. The reconfiguration proposal was met with unanimous disproval by all parents and community members. All the criteria parents had submitted for the trustees consideration was disregarded by a vote on February 2nd, 2016... yet the very next day Kevin Godden (Superintendent) and RayVelestuk (Secretary-Treasurer) presented the additional parent criteria to Bradner parents again on February 3rd, 2016 even though it was already irrelevant.

Parents are concerned the shuffle will result in rural 11 year old children being bussed into Abbotsford schools adding hours to their days, being disconnected from the support systems their communities have built upon generation after generation. Another major concern for the west side schools is that their 11 year olds are being forced to attend Eugene Reimer Middle School (ER) in the Townline Hill area of west Abbotsford that has seen a major spike in crime, drug and gang violence in the last 10 years. A music student of ER uses hip hop lyrics to tell his story of how older drug dealers recruit students in ER and neighbouring Rick Hansen.

Families of the 6 schools have already prepared by registering their children cross-district, private school or home schooling. The line up for student withdraws on January 18th was long as principals signed release forms. Rural parents feel that their children should be raised for as long as possible within their community to build self-confidence & independence, leadership so they prevent them from being lead astray by the dug and gang lifestyles that are noted in hundreds of news articles on Townline Hill conflicts.

The Board of Education and trustees at the Abbotsford school district were shouted and booed at by parents and community alike at the February 23rd, 2016 regular public meeting, when the Board of Education made a decision claiming to have made a "presentation" detailing the consultation and decision making process, that parents viewed as unfair and useless. When asked about what research was done behind the middle school system, that districts continent wide are moving away, was based on? Kevin Godden replied snidely "Common Sense!" at the board meeting on February 2nd, with parents in the crowd called out with loud voices that that comment was disrespectful and unprofessional. Another parent attended in a wheelchair said she had a hard time to attend because the Abbotsford School District Admin. building offers no handicapped parking stalls or automatic entry doors for the disabled. I held the door for her on her way out and she commented with sadness that the district does not care. It was made clear in the question period by parents that their children are the board and trustees bread and butter, WE pay their salaries! Parents have begun asking when the next election is and to make it known how badly they have been treated by the Abbotsford School District.

The next election is November, 2018

The Board voted to approve the following motion:

“THAT the Board reconfigure Aberdeen, Ross, Bradner and Mt. Lehman Elementary schools to K-5 from K-7 effective for the 2017-18 school year.”

"THAT Barrowtown and Upper Sumas Elementary schools will also be reconfigured to grades K-5 from K-7 effective for the 2017-18 school year."

Kevin Godden issued this statement - "After serious consideration of the alternatives that were proposed, the Board reached consensus on this course of action, based on a set of criteria that were established at the outset. The proposed grade reconfiguration will standardize elementary grade configurations across the district to Kindergarten to Gr. 5, provide improved middle school programing for students not currently attending middle schools, and create improved student transitions.

While we appreciate that the prospect of this change may be unsettling for some families, we do want to thank parents and community members for their participation in the consultation process. In the coming weeks and months we will provide more information about the transition process to ensure that students are as successful as possible going forward."

Sincerely
Kevin Godden
Superintendent
Abbotsford School District
[email protected]

Trustees Responsible for the decision...

The next election is November, 2018.
Make an informed vote and get involved! Abbotsford is what each of us makes of it,
together we can make a difference.